David Cameron set to deliver his keynote speech at the Tory party conference in Manchester and supermarket giant Tesco to announce half year results

David Cameron is to deliver a passionate defence of business as he sets out his ambition to make Britain "a land of opportunity for all".

In his keynote speech to the Conservative conference in Manchester, the Prime Minister will turn his fire on Ed Miliband, accusing the Labour leader of adopting an agenda which is anti-business and anti-enterprise.

He will tell Tory activists profit, wealth creation, tax cuts and enterprise are "not dirty words" and business is not the problem Britain faces, but the solution to its problems.

Tesco poised to deliver results

Tesco's recovery plans will come under more scrutiny today when it delivers half year results amid mounting pressure on its market share.

The UK's biggest grocery chain will reveal how sales fared in the heatwave, which was followed by a less impressive August for the retail sector.

Chief executive Philip Clarke has been leading a £1 billion overhaul at the group, having reported its first annual profits fall in nearly 20 years.

'Let pupils rate teachers’ lessons’

Pupils should be given the chance to rate their teachers on the quality of their lessons, according to a leading private school head.

Richard Cairns, head of Brighton College, is calling on the Government to make it compulsory for students to play a part in assessing the performance of teachers.

The move would help school leaders deal with under-performance in the classroom, he suggested.

McCann to fly out for libel case

Missing Madeleine McCann's father will return to a Portuguese court today in the hope he can give evidence at his family's libel case against a former local police chief.

Gerry McCann wants to give evidence in the case against Goncalo Amaral, who published a book making allegations about Madeleine's disappearance in May 2007.

The McCanns say the former detective's claims in the book The Truth Of The Lie include suggestions they hid their daughter's body after she died in an accident and faked an abduction, damaging the hunt for Madeleine and exacerbating her family's anguish.

E.ON withdraws over-60s tariff

Tens of thousands of pensioners will face a hike in energy prices after E.ON withdrew its discount tariff for over-60s.

The StayWarm deal, which offered fixed-price energy for older customers based on their average consumption levels, will come to an end at the weekend.

E.ON says the move has been forced by changes to the number of tariffs permitted by regulator Ofgem. But it will leave older StayWarm customers searching for new deals when the plug is pulled on the tariff on Sunday.

'69% of youth’ face cyberbullying

A survey into cyberbullying has revealed more young people are being targeted through social media than ever.

The report, published by national anti-bullying charity Ditch the Label, sampled 10,008 young people aged between 13 and 22 and found that levels of cyberbullying were much higher than previously reported.

Liam Hackett, founder of the Brighton-based charity, set up the Annual Cyber Bullying Survey, in partnership with teenage social networking site Habbo Hotel, because more than 30,000 young people were visiting Ditch the Label's virtual bullying support centre on the Habbo website every week.

Europol warning over Romanian gangs

Criminal gangs from Romania are targeting European cities by flying in on low-cost airlines to commit their crimes before returning home, the director of Europol has warned.

Rob Wainwright described the gangs as "petty criminals operating across multiple jurisdictions", adding they are active across Europe.

The main crimes being carried out are thought to be card-skimming and pickpocketing, with Romanian and Bulgarian gangs responsible for 90% of card-skimming in Europe, according to Europol.

US senate rejects house offer

Much of the vast machinery of the US government has ground to a halt as Democrats and Republicans blame each other for a partial shutdown that closed federal agencies, national parks and research facilities across the nation.

Ominously, there were suggestions from leaders in both parties that the shutdown, heading for its second day, could last for weeks and grow to encompass a possible default by the Treasury if Congress fails to raise the nation's debt ceiling.

Speaking at the White House, President Barack Obama accused Republicans of causing the first partial closure in 17 years as part of a non-stop "ideological crusade" to wipe out his signature health care law.

Alcohol ‘promoted in chart hits’

References to alcohol in the lyrics of chart hits by singers like Katy Perry could be encouraging young people to drink, according to research.

Nearly one in five songs in modern UK top 10s mentions alcohol, a sharp rise from just a decade ago, said researchers from Liverpool John Moores University.

Professor Karen Hughes, of the university's Centre for Public Health, said: "Health and other professionals should recognise increased alcohol promotion in popular music and ensure this does not reinforce binge-drinking culture or contribute to already high burdens of alcohol on young people."

Peru Pair may face six-month probe

Drug mules Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid could face a six-month investigation if their guilty pleas are not accepted, the Peruvian prosecutor in charge of their case has said.

Juan Mendoza made the comments after the women, both 20, made a second appearance before a judge at Sarita Colonia del Callao jail in Callao, near Lima. He did not give details of the private hearing but suggested the women's confessions had not satisfied prosecutors.

Last week McCollum, from Dungannon, Co Tyrone, and co-accused Reid, from Glasgow, pleaded guilty to drug smuggling. They had hoped the behind-closed-doors admission would be enough to secure a shorter sentence.

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